See What Happens
by RosaDoesStuff
Summary: "Would you like to join me for a snack? I imagine you'd be hungry after working in the stables all evening; I would be." Marianne's face quickly whipped up to meet Hilda's, her mouth slightly slack and surprise evident in her dirt-coloured eyes. "M-me?" Marianne X Hilda fic, now bigger than before. Shout out to a mate of mine. Oh, and I don't own Fire Emblem.


It was just like Lysithea always said: Garreg Mach was scary when the cool moon extinguished the sun and everything was dark and still. Every corridor was just a little too silent, every room was just a little too dingy, every window glowed with the light of the moon. Even the usually vibrant dining hall, always full of jovial conversation and friendly faces, felt ominous at this time of night. Still, Hilda wasn't one who easily perturbed by superstition; who cares if the other students say this place is haunted by a ghost? And who cares if Ignatz had told everyone in class this morning that he had seen it wandering the halls on his way back from the library? Nope, Hilda wasn't scared at all.

Shifting on the bench she was sitting on, the pink haired girl pulled the thick blanket she had taken from her room tighter around herself, cursing silently that her bed-clothes didn't offer much protection from the elements. The night was colder than she expected and being cold annoyed her immensely. To think that 30 minutes prior, she was snugly wrapped in shawls and sheets whilst she slumbered in her bed.

"Stupid stomach, making me hungry." Hilda exclaimed to the room as she tore into her sandwich, it was the best she could muster thanks to her unfamiliarity with the kitchens and her lacklustre cooking abilities.

Without warning, a soft, quiet voice called from the doorway that led to the entrance hall, making the axe wielder flinch, "W-who's there?"

Hilda froze, not daring to make the slightest movement or noise. Heart thumping, she swallowed. The ghost was real. But what was it doing at Garreg Mach, much less the dining hall? Ghosts had no need for food, or at least that's what Hilda had inferred from the stories her brother used to tell her when they were younger. Unless- what if this was some kind of vengeful spirit?! Sent by the forces of evil to pray upon fair maidens who stray around the monastery in the dead of night. Suddenly, five, elegant fingers rested on the door-frame, the spirit's body still hidden behind the wall. The cold glow from the windows highlighted the pale colour of the flesh.

"Ah! Stop right there!" Hilda screeched as the sound of the bench she was sitting on slid sharply against the stone tiles, shattering the tranquillity of the monastery.

A squeal came from behind the door and the white digits retracted into the darkness.

"Who's there?" She demanded, "s-show yourself!"

At first there was no reply or movement. The only noise to be heard was the slightly laboured breathing emanating from Hilda, standing ram-rod straight against the edge of the table she was previously sitting at, eyes fixed on the doorway like rabbit staring at a fox. Unexpectedly, the ghostly fingers reappeared on the door, visibly shaking and with even less colour in them, followed by the soft sound of a footstep. After what felt like an eternity, the spectre finally glided into the dining hall.

The ghoul had the snow-white skin and sunken eyes that Hilda had expected, but had surprisingly feminine features; a petite nose, high cheekbones, small chin. Sapphire-blue strands of hair encased the spirit's face and pooled in neat braids on top of her head. She donned a black and brass coloured school uniform, uncreased and clean- despite the fact that it had been worn all day.

Hilda breathed a sigh as her shoulders visibly relaxed. The vengeful spirit was in fact, Marianne.

"Oh, hello Marianne- um- sorry for shouting at you, you really startled me."

Marianne didn't reply. She still looked as stiff as a board as she stood in the room and gazed at the magenta-eyed girl, only slightly in front of the door through which she had came.

"Hello? Marianne? You ok?" Hilda asked, worried, as she started walking towards the blue haired girl, "I didn't expect to find anyone else up at this time of night."

A small semblance of colour returned to the frightened girl's skin, especially as Hilda grew closer to her. "Eh, well, I-I went to the stables after dinner and when I saw it was dark outside, I decided to go back to my room and this is the quickest route."

"You were in the stables all that time? Wow!" Hilda mused as she stood in front of Marianne and placed her hand on the shy girl's shoulder in an attempt to calm her nerves.

Marianne Shivered violently and flushed crimson.

"Mari? You ok?"

"Y-yes!" Marianne suddenly insisted, before flushing an even deeper colour and looking at the stone tiles beneath her feet, almost like she was willing the Earth to open up beneath her and swallow her up. "Uh, I mean, I'm fine. Just a little startled."

Hilda removed her hand from Marianne's shoulder, standing awkwardly in front of the magic user. Marianne didn't talk much in class, making her hard to hold a conversation with, especially when she couldn't even maintain eye contact with the pink haired girl.

"Well," Hilda started, "I got hungry when I was asleep, so I came here to eat." Hilda pointed over at her half-eaten sandwich, as if she were trying to prove that she wasn't lying.

Marianne gave a mewl of acknowledgement before her deadpan eyes drifted up from the floor and flickered between the sandwich, the rose-coloured eyes of her companion, and the door that would lead back to her room. She shivered again.

"Are you cold?" Hilda questioned.

"Sort of."

The pink haired girl briefly considered what to do. She wanted to spend more time with Marianne, after all, she had always seemed isolated and sorrowful; perhaps Hilda could bring her out of her emotional shell and get her more involved with the rest of the Golden Deer. After all, everyone needed a friend.

"Would you like to join me for a snack? I imagine you'd be hungry after working in the stables all evening; I would be."

Marianne's face quickly whipped up to meet Hilda's, her mouth slightly slack and surprise evident in her dirt-coloured eyes.

"M-me?"

"I mean, yeah. I don't see any other Mariannes here besides you." Hilda grabbed the corners of the blanket she had wrapped around her and opened the blanket, revealing her loose-fitting, black bed clothes underneath, "Come on! We can even share this blanket and warm up."

"Um- ah, I don't know…"

"Come on Mari, " Hilda grabbed Marianne by the hand, resulting in a loud pitched squeak that Hilda ignored, and dragged her to the bench where the food was, "Raphael was on shopping duty today but ended up eating everything again so there isn't much food, but you can have half of mine if you want."

Brown eyes went wide. "I'm not hungry, t-thank you," she gasped as she was pulled down onto the bench by the easy-going girl. Hilda gave a noise and sat down, sliding her arm around Marianne's shoulders and draping the thick blanket around the two of them; they sat side by side, arm-to-arm and thigh-to-thigh. Hilda heard Marianne give a timid peep as she reached for the remainder of her sandwich.

"Is this ok?" she queried, suddenly realising how close the two were.

"Uh-" Marianne shifted slightly, closing her eyes and leaning into Hilda's shoulder slowly and resting her head on the side of the shorter girl's head, "Y-yes." A beat passed before her eyes burst open again and she lifted her head slightly, Unless you're not ok? If you're not, I'll leave. Of course-"

Hilda cut the other girl off with a swift hand wave as she muffled, "'I'm fine," between sandwich bites.

The next few minutes could only be described as odd. With Hilda preoccupied by her food and Marianne being contempt to stay quiet, The two sat in silence, except for the odd heavy breath or sigh from Mari. Eventually, Marianne awkwardly snaked her arms around Hilda's waist and shuffled in her seat to rest her head in a more comfortable position on Hilda's shoulder, nestled into the side of her neck. Hilda was surprised by the sudden boldness the usually unconfident girl was showing. it was strange, but not necessarily uncomfortable. A long, slightly shaky breath escaped the taller girl's nose.

Hilda swallowed the lump of food she was chewing as she turned her head to meet Marianne's, growing hotter every second. "Are you still ok?" she muttered.

"Ah-yes," Marianne stuttered. "I'm good. I-I just don't do this sort of thing often."

"What? Cuddle?"

"Is that what we are doing?"

Hilda considered the question for a moment; she was aware that cuddling was kind of a romantic thing and the last thing she wanted to do was make the atmosphere awkward and scare Marianne away. "Uh- I guess so."

"Oh," a small smile broke out on the teal girl's face, "It's nice." Hilda couldn't help but to find herself agreeing.

Hilda kept her eyes trained on the area in front of her feet, partly because she was conscious of tripping over the various boxes and buckets that were littered outside the stables and partly because she couldn't bear to look up at her partner right now. Marianne walked at a comfortable pace a few paces in front of her, dragging her by the hand along the path.

"Uh- why are we here again?" Hilda asked, peeking up at the blue-haired girl.

"I just wanted to show you something," Marianne squeaked, "something dear to me."

Hilda glanced at her hand, honoured that Marianne would show her something important to her. They had stayed in the dining hall for a while after Hilda had finished her food, talking and cuddling, until Marianne suddenly stood up and asked Hilda to follow her somewhere. That somewhere was apparently the stables.

It was still dark, with the only light coming from the blue moon that smiled down from the sky, like a Cheshire cat, which bathed the foliage and buildings surrounding the stables in a mellow, blue hue. Hilda was completely unprepared for the night time conditions; her thin nightclothes offering little comfort against the nightly chill and her slippers, whilst fine on the cobblestone pavements of the dinning hall's floor, were uncomfortable on the dusty, dirt pavements around the stables.

If I knew I was going for a walk tonight, I would have dressed accordingly, she thought as she hobbled along, trying to dislodge a small stone stuck in her shoe.

"Well, h-here we are," Marianne declared, suddenly stopping in front of the sturdy, wooden door of the stables, almost causing Hilda to bump into her as a result, "this is the thing I wanted to show you."

"Great," the pink haired girl said, shuffling awkwardly, "what is it? The stables?"

Marianne gave a half-hearted chuckle. "No, it's inside the stables."

Freeing her hand from Hilda's, Marianne reached for the handle on the door and pulled, the heavy door swinging open with a slow momentum. Hilda had never been inside the stables before as she had no interest in horse riding; to her, horses were little more than large, hairy animals, trotting around the fields behind the monastery.

Marianne seems to like them though. I guess they are kind of cute.

The interior of the stables were basically what Hilda expected; sturdy walls made of stone, wooden beams running across the length of the interior to support the roof, racks of tools and metal brushes mounted to the walls, buckets and barrels full of feed, and lastly, numerous cubicles for the horses to reside in. The thick air smelt like sweat and straw.

"Oh! Where are all the horses?" Hilda questioned as she glanced at the stalls, almost all of them looked empty. The exception was a stall towards the corner of the room, furthest away from the door they had just entered through, a muscular horse with short, silver hair stood calmly in the entrance of the stall it was occupying, its head hanging over the gate. Upon seeing Marianne, it gave a small puff of air and shook its head slightly in greeting.

"Hello Dorte," the blue haired girl said softly as she approached the horse, stroking its head and nuzzling it with the side of her face when she got near enough, "all the other horses are out on a mission right now with the knights. Dorte got left behind because he was feeling sick. I've been looking after him for a couple months now."

"Is this what you wanted to show me? Dorte?"

"Yes."  
Hilda tried her best to hide her disappointment. She had no idea what Marianne wanted to show her, but she had hoped it would have been something exciting, like a historic family heirloom or an exotic type of tea. Shyly moving up towards the cubical, she took her hand out from underneath her blanket and rubbed Dotre's face slowly, almost as if she was stroking something delicate.

"He won't hurt you," Marianne urged.

Trusting Marianne's judgement, Hilda pressed a little harder on the horse. She could feel his hairs rubbing against her palm, like the coarse bristles on a brush.

"He's cute."

A timid smile blossomed on the shy girl's lips. "Yes, I-I think so too." A moment passed when neither girl said anything, contempt to stroke Dorte in a slightly awkward silence. "I feel at ease around Dorte," Marianne revealed, "like everything will be ok as long as he's here."

"Everything will be ok? What is that supposed to mean?"

Marianne's smiled, but it didn't reach her tired eyes.

"Hilda, I brought you here, not only to show you Dorte, but also to confess something to you." Marianne pulled her hand back from Dorte's face and turned her body to face Hilda, her hands clasping each other in front of her waist. Pink eyes met sunken as Marianne took a deep breath. "So-um, I've been thinking a lot recently, and I feel like I need to tell someone or I'll burst... Perhaps the Goddess had us meet so you could help me."

"Of course! I'm happy to help you in anyway that I can." Hilda reassured, quickly placing her hand on the shy girl's shoulder in a sign of comfort. The atmosphere had grown tense due to the promise of heavy subjects, like there was a lingering sense of danger.

"I don't… know how to say this." Marianne slowly guided Hilda's hand away from her shoulder, blush evident on her face, and held her hand in between hers. "But, I-I think I might be gay."

"Oh." The axe wielder suddenly flushed, conscious that pair had basically cuddled not even an hour ago and that her hand was currently nestled in between Marianne's; Marianne reciprocated the action. "W-well, that's not a bad thing. Lots of people are."

Shock framed the shy girl's face as she gripped Hila's trapped hand a little harder, "really?"

"I mean- yes. There may even be some in the monastery."

"Oh, I never considered that," Marianne whispered sadly as she let go of Hilda's palm, "do you know of my adoptive father, Margrave Edmund?" Hilda nodded in the affirmative. "He is one of the newer nobles of the Alliance and wants me to marry a powerful noble so that our family can obtain more wealth and influence in the Alliance. All throughout my life, his only expectation for me was to marry. But… I'm not sure if I can ever be happy living like that. Living with a man."

"Mari, that's awful. I-I don't know what to suggest. Does he know? Your adoptive father?"

"Goodness no!" She cried, "he is...he isn't supportive of those kind of people, I suppose is a good way of putting it."

Hilda looked away, "oh." A strained moment passed, full of understanding and unsaid sympathy. "When did you... find out?"

The magic user shifted uncomfortably, "I had my s-suspicions, but that thing we did in the dining hall, that...I feel as though that confirmed it."

Hilda's blush burned through her face and her body felt like an oven, "you mean the cuddling?"

Marianne nodded.

"Oh. I guess that explains your reaction."

Another strained moment passed. Hilda didn't know what to say.

"Ah! Um. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. Please just ignore me. I-I have to go now," Marianne swivelled around on the balls of her feet and swiftly glided to the stable door, her body rigid like a stick man. "Goodbye Hilda."

"Ahh, wait! Mari." Hilda called, but Marianne was already out of the door. Dashing to it, she looked out, only to find that Marianne wasn't in sight.

Damn! She's gone.

Closing the heavy door behind her with a thud, Hilda slowly trudged back to her dorm, her mind racing. On one hand, Hilda felt slightly weird for having a small part to play in Marianne discovering herself, after all, who wouldn't? However, Hilda didn't care about Marianne's sexuality; Marianne was still Marianne and the fact that she had run away before Hilda could express this, annoyed her and complicated matters.

She said she was sorry for making me uncomfortable! I wasn't uncomfortable! Just surprised, that's all.

Hilda buried her face in her hands.

What if she thinks I don't like her now.

The sound of a fist thudding against Hilda's dormitory door woke her up.

"Hilda," a muffled voice yelled from behind it, "Hilda? Are you still asleep? The Professor's lecture is in less than an hour, wake up!"

Too tired to think of a proper response, a loud groan was all Hilda could muster in reply as she rolled over onto her side and pulled the covers over her eyes.

Ah! The sun hurts my eyes, what time is it?

Shuffling slightly, Hilda glanced up at the clock hanging on her wall, the hands revealing that it was mid-breakfast, class was soon to begin. Warm, fiery rays penetrated through her curtains and lit up the room, bathing the room in a cosy orange.

"Ugh! Just five more minutes."

"No Hilda, that simply won't do!" The voice shouted again, "Everyone else is eating breakfast, I suggest you get out of bed soon so that you may eat as well." With that, Hilda heard dainty, light footsteps walking away down the corridor outside the second-floor dormitories, the rhythm almost lulling her back into a slumber.

Slowly, The pink haired girl crawled out of the cocoon of sheets she had encased herself in and slid out of her bed. Discarding her bed clothes in a pile across the room, she donned her uniform, pulled on her boots and walked out of the door, hoping to catch the last of breakfast before The Professor's lesson.

Hilda stepped out into the corridor and made her way towards the stairs. It was funny; she had walked through this corridor everyday, yet she had never fully realised who lived on this level. On her left, immediately after leaving her room, stood a door bearing the symbol of the Golden deer and a sign that read: "Marianne".

Huh, this is Marianne's room, I never realised it was the one directly next to mine, Hilda thought as she made her way towards the stairs, memories of last nights adventure racing back to her. Hilda made a promise to herself; she would speak to Marianne today, to ensure all was well.

Upon going down the stairs, past the greenhouse and into the dinning hall, Hilda was met with the familiar sight of breakfast. The smell of fried food, the buzz of conversation and the sight of Raphael going back for more food all served to make breakfast Hilda's favourite meal of the day. Walking up to the food bar, Hilda grabbed some toast and jam and moved to the table she usually sat at.

"Good morning Hilda, it's good to see you finally dragged yourself out of your bed." Lorenz commented as she sat down. At the table, Lorenz was just finishing his food, Ignatz had his nose buried in a large book, Claude was eagerly scribbling something down into a small book- no doubt some hare-brained scheme.

"That was you!" Hilda grunted, simultaneously spreading a thick layer of sweet jam onto her toast. Lorenz chuckled as she bit into her food, looking around Marianne was nowhere to be seen; not at the table like she usually was, not in the queue waiting to be served, not eating with The Professor either. Her brow furrowed as she swallowed her breakfast. "Hey, where's Mari?"

"Marianne?" Ignatz remarked "I saw her earlier. She grabbed some food and ran out of the dining hall into the entrance hall. Why do you ask?"

Hilda considered the question, "Did she look... sad to you? Or maybe like she was worried?"

"I mean, not particularly, Marianne always looks like she worried though so it was hard to tell."

That's reassuring. Maybe she just had somewhere to be, like the library or to the stables to feed Dorte.

"Ok, and I asked because I just needed to talk to her about something."

"Is there a problem?" Claude questioned.

"No! It's fine." Hilda reassured. Claude narrowed his eyes slightly and lowered his head, once again occupying himself with his writing. It wasn't long before they fell into their usual breakfast routine; Lorenz would rant about something relating to the nobility, Raphael would sit down at the table, inhale his food and then go get more food, and everyone else would eat and laugh the hour away. However, on this occasion, Hilda couldn't take her mind off of Marianne. What was Marianne doing now? Where was Marianne right now? What was Marianne feeling right now? She sighed, hopefully they could talk soon.

The seminar started very poorly, the moment Hilda entered the Golden Deer classroom, she noticed neat, teal hair, with its owner sitting in the corner of the room as far away as possible from where Hilda usually sat. Marianne was staring intently at the pages, eyes wide and body paralysed. Hilda looked away and fiddled with the hem of her skirt, saddened at the distress she may have caused her friend. It seemed that her fears were true; Marianne was avoiding her.

All the more reason for me to talk to her.

"Right class," The Professor began, "Today's seminar will be on the importance of positioning on the battlefield; your position, in relation to your enemies, is very important when fighting and choosing a favourable position could turn the battle in your favour." She held up some large sheets of paper, rough lines and crudely drawn shapes scattered across the pages. "These are some maps that I have drawn. In pairs, I want you and your partner to identify where the best place for your army is and then to justify this opinion to the class."

Raphael raised his hand, "Can we pick our partners?" The sound of his deep, enthusiastic voice bellowing around the room.

"Yes, you can."

"Alright! Hey, Lysithea! You're smart right? Can you help me?" Raphael said as he stood up and bounced towards Lysithea's desk, the girl in question looking up at him disapprovingly.

"What? I never agreed to pair with you-"

Whilst chaos broke out in the room, and everyone started pairing off with everyone else, Hilda glanced eagerly behind her. Marianne slouched over her table, staring down, like a hawk, at the same book she was looking at when Hilda came in the room. Quickly gathering her writing implements, Hilda casually strolled over to where Marianne was sitting, attempting to act as carefree as possible to conceal her nervousness.

"Hey Mari," she waved and smiled as Marianne looked up from her book, the bags that lingered under her eyes were darker than usual, especially contrasted against the paleness of her face; she looked tired.

"Um! Ah-hello Hilda," She gave a shaky smile and her posture stiffened.

"Mind if I work with you, I think we'd make a great team!"

"I...I mean- ok"

"Great," Hilda beamed reassuringly, placing her equipment down on the table besides Marianne, "I'll go grab us a map from The Professor." The axe wielder sauntered up to the front of the class where The Professor was standing and was handed a map. The thick, white paper was about the size of her torso which made it awkward to carry. Nevertheless, Hilda waddled back to the table to find that Marianne had shifted along the bench slightly to allow Hilda to sit next to her.

Well at least she isn't refusing to work with me, that's a start.

"I'm back," Hilda flapped the paper onto the table and sat down next to Marianne, shoulder to shoulder. Marianne blushed. "Alright, ready to start?"

"Y-yes."

Although the seminar was helpful, and it turned out Marianne was quite knowledgeable on battle tactics, an uncomfortable weight lingered in the air between them. Hilda did most of the talking. Marianne only spoke when she was spoken to, or gave the occasional yelp of approval whenever Hilda looked at her for approval on an idea.

"Mari, You know what happened yesterday? With Dorte? Well, you ran away before I could finish what I was going to say and I hoped we could talk about it."

Marianne looked panicked, "Please! Not here," She whispered. "I don't want people to know."

"Ok! Ok, I won't talk about it."

The uncomfortable weight increased tenfold, suffocating the pair like a noxious gas. The rest of the lesson was terrible. Upon being asked to present their ideas, Hilda stood up and explained their ideas to the rest of the class whilst Marianne sat silently next to her, her body folded in on itself in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. Then, Marianne spent the remainder of the seminar in silence, with a thousand-yard stare at the book in front of her.

This actually couldn't have gone worse. She refuses to talk to me, what am I supposed to do?

"Hilda, may I speak with you? It's about your lance technique." the professor called from the front of the room.

Hilda was reluctant to go, briefly glancing sideways, she noticed how Marianne was still on the page she had been on for the last fifteen minutes and that she had moved further away from Hilda so that their bodies were no longer touching.

"Coming." She said as she stood up. Suddenly, a weight tugged at her hand and her head whipped around to see Marianne reaching across the desk, holding Hilda's hand in her own.

"Meet me outside the stables tonight. At midnight." She whispered softly.

"Y-yeah, ok."

"Hilda?" The professor called, annoyed that she was waiting. Marianne let go of Hilda's hand and went back to her book, causing Hilda to grumble. Curse the professor for interrupting!

"Coming," she muttered, defeated.

"So, Hilda, I saw you and Marianne worked together during the seminar." Claude commented as he sat down next to Hilda. It was dinner time and whilst the food being server was one of her favourite meals, it failed to sooth the butterflies that swarmed the bit of her stomach. She had been distracted all day; resulting in an unproductive training session and a one-sided sparring match against Caspar.

"So? We've talked before."

"Yes but every time you've talked before, Marianne hasn't looked like she wanted to disappear into the air and float away. Plus, this morning you were asking about her, so if you ask me, I think something happened between you two."

"Come now Claude," Lorenz started, "As the future leader of the Leicester Alliance, you should be above petty gossip."

Gratitude burned in Hilda. She would have to write to her brother again and reiterate how great Lorenz was. "Yeah Claude, it's rude to inquire into the business of a lady," She smirked as she stabbed some of her veggies with her fork and started to eat.

Claude rolled his eyes in defeat and smiled. Hilda stared at him, expecting a witty retort or more interrogation, but Claude seemed to drop the subject, instead choosing to pick up his utensils and start eating.

Allowing her shoulders to untense, Hilda looked around and realised that Marianne was, once again, absent from the dining hall. "Hey, speaking of Mari, Where is she?"

Claude chuckled, "And you say that nothing is going on between you two, alright." Hilda fiddled with the long strands of her hair as she opened her mouth to retort, although Claude shook his head and spoke before she could, "Last time I saw her she was walking to the greenhouse, so she probably took the stairs to her room."

"Alright, thanks Claude."

Raphael sat down suddenly, the literal mountain of food stacked on his plate wobbling slightly, "Oh, hey guys! What's everyone doing on the rest day tomorrow?"

Hilda focused her attention back on her plate, content to let the conversation around her play out without her input.

Tonight can't come soon enough, if it'll mean that Marianne will get the courage to leave her room again... I miss her.

The blue moon watched Hilda leaning against the stone walls of the stable, alone. She looked around. Still no sign of Marianne. Hilda still wore her school uniform, as she had little other clothes that were suitable for going out at night, however, the addition of a long, thick coat helped to keep the cold from sinking into her skin as it had done yesterday. It was peacefully silent, bar the occasional owl that flapped and flew its way around the monastery.

I hope she shows up. I'll be mad if she made me wait out here for no good reason.

She sighed, her hot breath forming an opaque cloud in front of her mouth as it mixed with the cool breeze.

"Mari… Where are you?" she grumbled, squirming in the place she was standing to combat Jack Frost.

All of a sudden, Hilda thought she could hear small footsteps around the side of the building, a faint rhythm tapping against the cobblestone pavement behind the stables.

"Mari?" She called, suddenly conscious that she hadn't brought her sword with her and that some people in the town had been talking about someone called a Death Knight who came out at night to kill people. However, her worry was unnecessary. Marianne turned the corner, also in her school uniform, the pale hue of the moon dyeing her smooth skin white, making her look like a spirit again.

"Yes?" She answered.

Hilda pressed her palm to her heart, bidding it to stop racing. "Don't worry, I didn't know it was you."

Marianne approached Hilda timidly, "Oh," She whispered, "were you… expecting somebody else. "If it's not convenient for you, to meet here I mean, then, um, I can come back later."

Hilda swiftly raised her hands, "Oh no, this is fine. I've been waiting to talk to you all day."

"Really?"

"Yes."

A beat of silence passed where neither girl knew what to say. What was the best way to address the elephant in the room? Ease into it with small talk?

"So," Hilda begun, fidgeting with her fingers, "Uh- How have you been today?"

"I-I've been ok."

"Good. Good to hear." This is getting me nowhere. "So…"

"Hilda, please just say what you wanted to say."

Hilda's breath quickened, "I just wanted… to say that I support you and I don't see you any differently."

Shock filled the teal girl's sunken eyes. Her face lit up, finally adding some colour to the extreme pallor of her face. "Really?"

"Yes absolutely!"

"But we cuddled and you didn't say anything yesterday, you just stared at me." Small droplets pooled at the corners of Marianne's eyes, "and then... and then I thought you hated me for cuddling with you so I-I tried to avoid you." She choked out between steady sobs. Hilda's heart broke at the sight.

"You didn't take advantage of me, I invited you to sit with me and to cuddle, I was fine with it." Hilda stepped forward and embraced Marianne, wrapping her arms around the shy girl's body and letting Marianne bury her face in her shoulder. It was painful to see her like this. All she could do was hold Marianne and let the trickle of tears soak into her shoulder. Hilda leaned forward, slowly running her fingers through neat sapphire hair, trying to sooth the stream of snivels. "Shh-" she whispered, causing Marianne's sobs to slow down, "I don't hate you Mari, you just left yesterday before I had the opportunity to say something. I wasn't uncomfortable, only… shocked, I guess."

"That's- that's good." Marianne whimpered, "I'm glad you weren't uncomfortable."

They stayed in each others embrace for a while after Marianne's sobs had died away. Marianne kept her head nestled into the crook of Hilda's neck, leaning her weight on the shorter girl and taking deep, uneven breaths to calm herself. Hilda traced small shapes into Marianne's back with her hand.

"Do you feel better?" Hilda queried. Pulling her torso away from Marianne's and shifting her arms to the taller girl's shoulders. Marianne did the same; lifting her head off of Hilda's shoulder and keeping her arms in place around Hilda's torso and back. Her eyes were tinted-red and swollen and she gave a hum whilst she nodded her head.

"I'm glad. I couldn't stand you thinking that I had a problem with you Mari, it put me on edge all day."

"I don't have a problem with you," Marianne said softly, "I love you."

Hilda yelped, "Y-you love me? Like love-love?"

"Yes," A small grin burst from Marianne's lips, "I've always tried to keep a distance from everyone else, it's just better that way." Hilda tried to argue but Marianne stopped her, "I don't care about those people. But… but it hurts the most to keep you away because I love you dearly."

"Ah-I don't know what to say." Hilda said, flustered, a tingling feeling building in her chest. Marianne's smile fell and Hilda felt Marianne's arms leave her body, making her heart beat even faster.

Ah! She going to think I hate her again!

Hilda did the first thing that came to mind, almost leaping forward, back into Marianne's arms, she crashed her lips onto Marianne's, initiating a clumsy kiss. Marianne reeled back for a second before reciprocating the kiss, once again wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. The two broke apart.

Hilda looked up into Marianne's eyes, recognising a new emotion in them, supposedly affection, "I love you too."

"Really?" Marianne seemed almost giddy.

"Yes. I've never found myself worrying over one of my friends so much before, and we worked well as a team in the seminar, before I made it awkward." she blushed at the memory, "I think we'd be good together."

"Together…" Ocean eyes stared into bubblegum; She smiled, a smile that brightened her face and made her eyes sparkle, "I- I'd like that."

"Well, this is my room," Marianne gestured inside as she opened the door for Hilda. Stepping in and hearing the door close behind her with a click, Hilda looked around, the room was similar to hers in many ways; the chandelier on the ceiling that illuminated the room, the yellow carpet that covered the floor, and the desk all reminding her of her own room next door. One key difference though, is that Marianne had books scattered everywhere, whereas Hilda only owned a few books, often relying on others notes to help her during lectures.

Hilda spun round on her heels, taking her surroundings in, "I like your room Marianne, its very-"

Hilda was suddenly cut off mid spin when Marianne stepped forward from by the door and pulled her into a kiss. Hilda smiled. Gently holding Marianne's bottom lip in between her teeth, she licked her lips, signalling Marianne to open her lips so Hilda could deepen the kiss. Marianne gasped into Hilda's mouth before complying and letting Hilda's tongue explore the caverns of her mouth, tangling her hands in Hilda's long hair and pulling her close. Eventually, the two parted for air, panting heavily.

"T-That, felt, really good," Hilda puffed.

"Yeah, it did." Hilda noticed Marianne's eyes drift to her bed, its golden-coloured bed sheets neatly draped over the mattress and pillow, both girls flushed an amazing crimson. "Uh, do you want to s-sit down?" Marianne shifted on her feet and looked down slightly on the floor.

It took Hilda a moment to realise what was being asked of her, her brain being distracted by the ferocious beating in her chest. "Ok," she muttered timidly as she moved towards the bed, closely followed by Marianne who sat down next to her. The closeness of the couple created an electric, yet somewhat shy, atmosphere. Taking the initiative, Hilda slowly placed her hand on Marianne's thigh and rubbed it back and forward in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Mari, we don't-"

"No," Marianne interrupted, her gaze meeting Hilda's, "I want to." She sighed, "It's just- I've never really done this before and I'm… nervous."

Hilda leaned up and kissed Marianne on the forehead, continuing to rub the shy girl's leg, "I've never done this before either, but we can figure it out. Together."

"Ok, how do we s-start?"

"How about we just kiss and see what happens."

Marianne flushed again, the rosy tint to her cheeks almost rivalling Hilda's hair colour. Marianne readjusted herself, choosing to straddle Hilda's legs and wrap her arms around her shoulders, before trailing kisses from her partner's jawline to her throat. Upon reaching the base of the axe wielder's neck, Marianne made a small love bite and licked the wound, noticing the way Hilda's breath hitched and the pleasure that followed.

"Mari," Hilda gasped sensually, moving her hands to the front of her lover, Hilda grabbed Marianne's school jacket and hastily started to unbutton the front of it, discarding the item of clothing across the room when she had gotten rid of it. Likewise, Marianne started to carefully unbutton Hilda's school shirt, the mess of arms between them making the task harder than it should be. However, eventually, they had both finished their tasks and threw the shirts to the other side of the room, where they wouldn't be missed. At first, they sensed each others insecurities which made the intimacy awkward, but soon all that came over them was awe and affection.

Hilda had always seen Marianne as an attractive girl, however, she had not been prepared to see Marianne's figure this close up; Her body was feminine yet strong, with slender yet gentle curves. Marianne, with mouth slightly slack, carefully moved her arms behind Hilda's back, unhooking her bra and releasing her breasts.

Hilda swallowed but made no effort to cover up, instead allowing her partner to marvel at her flesh. "Y-you too."

Marianne quickly moved her hands behind her back and unclipped her bra, leaving her just as bare as Hilda. Hilda needed to touch Marianne. Embracing her slowly, savouring the girl's warmth, Hilda laid Marianne on top of her, the friction between their breasts and stomachs creating a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Hilda kissed Marianne deeply again, sliding her hands down Marianne's side as she deepened the kiss until she eventually reached her breast, squeezing the soft, squidgy flesh gently. Marianne moaned into the kiss and broke it so she could nuzzle Hilda's shoulder, Biting her slowly whilst Hilda massaged her chest.

"Hilda," she whimpered, reaching down for her skirt and beginning to clumsily pull it off along with her tights. Understanding what her partner wanted, Hilda pulled the- now naked- Marianne into her lap, with her back pressing into Hilda's front. Hilda nibbled and sucked on the magic user's neck as she slid her hand down Marianne's smooth stomach and inner thigh, before shyly touching her most sensitive region. Marianne groaned and Hilda kissed her behind her ear, her hand never leaving Marianne's core. She gently pushed past Marianne's entrance and felt her partner shudder in a wave of pleasure. So, she carefully pushed forward, trying to find Marianne's sweet spot. A much louder groan emitted from Marianne once Hilda found it and proceeded to massage the area with her fingers.

Marianne rocked her head back at a sudden burst of pleasure, "Hilda, I-"

"It's ok, I don't mind," Hilda reassured, feeling Marianne tighten up around her fingers, Marianne cried out and held Hilda's wrist to stop her from moving. Hilda only removed herself when she had felt Marianne recover from her orgasm, her fingers coated with a sticky, translucent goo that shone in the candlelight.

Marianne groaned, a deep, hearty noise that emanated from her diaphragm. "Hilda, I want to touch you too," she whispered, nestled into the crook of Hilda's neck.

"O-ok."

Marianne spun round on Hilda's thighs, once again mounting her, and reached for the hem of Hilda's skirt. Unbuttoning the front and sliding the cloth off Hilda's legs, along with her dark blue tights. Hilda looked into Marianne's wanting eyes and swallowed, hoping she wouldn't notice her lust rising. She was already heated from Marianne's display earlier, but now she felt as though she was on fire. Marianne grabbed Hilda's shoulders and pushed her slightly, forcing her to lie flat on her back while Marianne loomed over her, effectively sandwiching her between the mattress and her lover's figure. The blue haired girl mimicked her past actions; leaving soft love bites on Hilda's flesh, working from the neck downwards until she reached Hilda's chest. Marianne massaged one of Hilda's breasts whilst simultaneously suckling on the other, her tongue flicking and dancing around the sensitive, pink nub and eliciting a spirited moan out of Hilda. Satisfied, she continued to leave open- mouthed kisses on Hilda's stomach, sucking at the rosy flesh, until she eventually slid off the bed knelt on the floor beside it, her face situated directly in between Hilda's parted legs. Hilda looked down at the top of Marianne's head, gripping the bed sheets in tight fists in preparation.

Marianne moved forward and quickly flicked her tongue against Hilda's entrance.

"Mari!" Hilda screamed. The pleasure was so great it was almost painful to feel. Marianne licked again, and again.

"Mari! Don't tease me-" the pink girl begged.

Marianne moved her head and giggled, "Sorry." Sensing Hilda's annoyance, almost as if it were palpable, Marianne nestled her head back in between Hilda's thighs. Hilda tightened up as Marianne's tongue span and twirled inside of her.

Hilda felt her release coming. Groaning loudly into the dormitory, she climaxed. Marianne removed herself after Hilda had relaxed, using the bed sheet to wipe herself off.

"Mari-t-that was great." Hilda panted, unballing her hands from the sheets and moving so that Marianne could lie next to her on the bed.

Marianne climbed onto the bed and over Hilda, lying next to the axe-wielder on the side that was closest to the wall, they cuddled into each other, intertwining their legs and holding each other. "I liked it as well." She suddenly looked worried, "Uh- can I get you anything? Water?"

Hilda shook her head and started to trace shapes into her girlfriend's shoulders, "I'm good. Just tired, actually," She laid a quick peck onto Marianne's chin for emphasis, "I wouldn't mind falling asleep like this."

Marianne smiled, "me too." she let out a yawn, which Hilda mimicked, both exhausted by the intimate experience they had just shared. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mari."

Hilda shifted in the bed, slowly returning to consciousness. Two things struck her as odd, immediately; number one, why was there a great mass pressing into her back, almost as if something was pushed against her? And second, why was she so cold? Calmly, her eyes slid open, revealing a dormitory room to her, one that was obviously not hers. Books lay neatly scattered over the desk, draws and shelves, like an eruption of literature had occurred and covered the room in its debris.

Where am I?

Resting her weight on her elbows, the Axe wielder pushed herself up from the mattress, only to have a hand coil around her waist and pull her back down, accompanied by a warm puff of air next to her ear. Hilda thought her heart would beat out of her chest. Steadily rotating round in the arms, she eventually came face to face with pale skin and an exposed collarbone, accompanied by a cluster of red and black marks clustered towards one side of the neck.

Hilda flushed, the fire of passion flaming from her face into the rest of her body once she noticed who she was with and where they were. It was Marianne, eyes closed and naked body pressed against her. Her legs were intertwined with Hilda's, her arm was wrapped around Hilda's middle and their chests collided with each other, the subtle feeling of friction causing a tension to build between Hilda's thighs. It looked like Marianne was the big spoon to Hilda's little spoon.

Hilda let out a relieved sigh, memories of last night's escapades returning to her. She relaxed into her lover's embrace, perfectly content with spending the morning this way as she rested her hand on Marianne's hip.

Yep! Today's going to be perfect! We can wake up together, eat together, go to class together… wait class?

"Mari!" Hilda cried, suddenly pushing herself off of the mattress, her jostling causing Marianne to fly into consciousness and sit up straight. "Oh my Goodness, look at the time! It's already late morning, the professors going to be so mad!."

"Hilda, what are you talking about?" Marianne covered her mouth with her petite hand and stifled a yawn.

"The seminar has begun Mari! It started an hour ago!" Hilda clasped her hands to Marianne's shoulders and shook her slightly, "Quick! We'll say you got sick and I came to look after you, that's why we are late"

Looking confused, Marianne put her hands on Hilda's cheeks and lightly kissed her nose, "Darling, it's Sunday. Today is the rest day, remember?"

Hilda considered this, her mind still going like a bullet, Hadn't Raphael said something about a rest day at dinner yesterday?

"Oh…"

Marianne smiled sweetly, "It's ok, We've slept in enough, I was going to wake up soon anyway." She stretched, throwing her arms above her head and shaking slightly to release the tension pent up from sleeping. Hilda averted her eyes, feeling hot again as the butterflies invaded her stomach again; Marianne's stretching performance displayed her toned stomach and attractive figure.

"Um, I'm going to get changed!" Hilda declared, the heat between her thighs beginning to feel uncomfortable again. She moved off the bed and quickly recovered her clothes from where they lay, dejected and neglected, around the room. Marianne followed suit, moving to her draws and pulling out a fresh pair of underwear, shirt and skirt. Hilda moved around to Marianne's desk, asking if she could borrow a hairbrush and receiving an affirmative; she winced.

"Mari, you left so many marks." Hilda turned her head so she could get a better look. Poking out from underneath her collar, red and black marks splashed across her neck, like paint on a canvas.

"Ah, um, I'm sorry. I didn't realise they'd stay there." She stepped towards Marianne, worry evident in her features. "Do you not like it?"

"It's not that I didn't like them, it's just that it'll be hard to explain if anyone sees them."

She wrapped her arms around Marianne's shoulders, tilting her head up and touching her lips to Marianne's. Although the kiss was brief, it was sweetened by the affection that the duo felt, making Hilda feel faint as a result.

Eventually, the magic user broke away for air, "so, how do we explain the bites, should anyone notice?"

"W-well-"

"You should k-know, that, I'm ok with us being, p-partners."

Hilda pulled Marianne closer, resting her hair on the shy girl's chest, "are you sure? Back in the seminar you said you didn't want people to know."

"I want to be with you," she said, determination shining in her voice, " and I w-want you to stay by my side as my girlfriend. I love you!"

Stunned into silence by the heartfelt announcement and the butterflies violently bouncing off the insides of her stomach, Hilda quickly squeezed Marianne once again. "I love you too! More than you could ever know."

"Where are we going again?" Hilda whined playfully, tightening her grip on Marianne's hand as they walked side-by-side down the woodland road. Above them, the autumn sun penetrated the canopies that sheltered them, a satisfying warmth sinking into their skin and penetrating their veins. Orange and brown leafs crunched underfoot as they walked, creating a steady symphony.

Marianne giggled, "First we have to go into town and get the shopping, but then I've got something planned."

The town below Garreg Mach was the main supplier for the monastery, providing for all of its needs, including food. It fell to the students to collect the food and today it was Marianne's turn, with Hilda deciding to accompany her. The streets were mapped out in a grid system; lines of cobblestone roads, lined with buildings, intersected with each other to form a hive of activity. The buildings mimicked the style of buildings that were common in the monastery, simple, square stone buildings with wooden roofs and large windows to let in light.

Hilda strolled around the streets, hand still slotted into her lover's palm, occasionally being dragged into various shops to buy the required supplies. After a while, they had brought everything on the list and stared back on their way to Garreg Mach.

"Let's go in here," Marianne stopped suddenly in front of a building marked; Taper's Bakery. The simple building blended into the rest of the street, with stone walls, wooden ceiling, and smoking chimney. Sweet smells drifted from the open windows. Inside, Hilda observed shelves packed with various breads, treats and cakes. Marianne approached the young man behind the counter, his wild, orange hair coated his face and head, like a lion's mane.

"Hello, um, can I have some cakes and biscuits please?"

"Certainly," he roared enthusiastically, grabbing a paper box and shovelling a generous amount of biscuits into it. Then, he grabbed a second box and did the same with small, iced cupcakes. He held out the boxes and Marianne sheepishly received them, simultaneously handing him some gold pieces to pay for the treats.

"I didn't know we needed to pick up snacks." Hilda commented as they left the store.

"We don't, darling, but we will need them for the thing I have planned."

"And what would that be?"

Marianne broke into a smile, genuine and as sweet as the goodies they had just acquired, "You'll have to find out later," she teased.

"Are you sure about this, Mari?"

"Oh yes, it's quite safe."

Hilda stood in the stables, staring flabbergasted at the saddle on Dorte's back. "But, I've never been on a horse before, what if I fall off?"

The magic user, already confidently mounted on Dorte's back, giggled. "You'll be fine, just hold on to me."

Hilda groaned, "alright." clambering onto the great beats's back, Hilda quickly wrapped her arms around Marianne's middle and hid her face in the taller girl's back. They were outside the stables, having just dropped off the requested supplies to the professor. After which, Marianne disappeared to her room and came back with a basket, visibly full of food, with a rolled up blanket protruding from the top. The basket was now attached to Dorte's saddle.

"Here we go!" Marianne laughed, shaking the reigns and forcing Drote into a slow trot towards the market place. Hilda cried, her terror making Marianne laugh again, "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"That's easy for you to say! Look at how high we are off the ground!" When the two passed out of the gate, they were met with large, open fields in front of them, and the wooded pathway that lead to town to their left. Marianne steered Dorte straight ahead into the fields.

"Hold on, Darling!" Marianne giggled loudly as she pulled on Dorte's reigns again, causing him to increase his speed from a trot to a swift gallop. Hilda blubbered, terrified, as she increased her grip around Marianne's middle, almost like she was a backpack. The trio sped along the grassy fields. Thick clusters of trees lined the edges of the fields, like fences, separating them from each other. Hilda steeled her bravery as she felt Dorte slow and looked up. They were in a sky of tall grass and wildflowers, all overgrown from lack of human intervention. In the corner of the field, a tall, weathered, willow tree stuck out from among the grass, like a crooked finger. Its branches and leaves were like rain; falling down to earth and basking the area underneath in a cool shade, protected from the overhead sun.

"Here's a good spot," Marianne said as she plucked Hilda's hands from her waist and dismounted the silver steed. She kept firm hold of his reigns as she pulled Dorte, with Hilda still stiffly situated on his back, towards the tree and tied his reins to a low, easy to reach branch. "Alright, let's have a picnic!"

Hilda chuckled, "A picnic?"

Marianne's face fell slightly, like she had done something wrong "Yes. I mean, it is lunch… and its nice weather."

"No-no I like picnics," Hilda reassured, "I just haven't on one for a while. But It should be fun!"

Marianne's smiled again.

"O-one problem, how do I get down from Dorte?" Hilda gestured vaguely to the ground beneath her.

"Just swing your foot round and climb off," Marianne stated casually, as if it was something she did everyday. "Here," she stuck her arms out to the side of her body, "I'll catch you."

Hilda wasn't convinced. "Ok…" she shuffled slowly around on Dorte's saddle, before putting her palms flat behind her and pushing herself off. A glass-shattering screech penetrated the calmness of the countryside as Hilda collided with Marianne and knocked her to the ground.

"Ugh!" Hilda looked down at the girl she was on top of, "I'm sorry, are you ok, Mari?"

Marianne laughed, her pink face lighting up with a smile.

"That was silly, yes I'm ok." The two stared into each other's faces awkwardly for a second before they broke out giggling; Marianne arched her head up and sweetly touched Hilda's lips with her own, caressing Hilda's lips with her tongue. Hilda deepened the kiss and parted her lips, allowing their tongues to intertwine. She moaned at the feeling.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this.

After a heated moment, the two broke apart. Marianne licked the moisture off of her lips, "That was an exciting way to dismount a horse."

Hilda blushed getting off of Marianne and sitting on her knees beside her, "Hey, what ever happened to the shy, not-teasing-me Mari? I liked her."

Marianne smiled, "Well, I feel safe around you. Like how I feel around Dorte but times a hundred!" She spread her arms out to emphasise the extent of her love.

"That would also explain your smile, it reaches your eyes now," Hilda bent over Marianne and kissed her forehead, "I like it a lot better than the old smile."

"So do I."

Grabbing the basket from Dorte's saddle, Marianne pulled out a chequered blanket, large enough for 2 to comfortably sit on and selection of food; cakes and cookies for the girls, and bound bundles of hay for Dorte.

Hilda felt her stomach rumble, recognising the food they had purchased from the bakery a few hours ago, "Looks good!"

Marianne spread the blanket out over the dry soil under the tree, the white and blue patches contrasting the oranges and greens of the field around them. Hilda sat down next to Marianne and reached for a cupcake. It was a simple design; a column of fluffy cake with simple, white icing arranged on top in a swirl.

Hilda bit into it, the sweetness of the icing enveloping her tongue, "these are really good!"

Marianne agreed, eagerly biting another segment of the cake she was holding. Behind them, Dorte puffed air out of his nose, having finished his lunch, and laid down on his belly next to the trunk of the tree. Upon noticing that Marianne had swallowed the last of her cake, Hilda speedily reached across and grabbed a second cupcake from the basket. Then, with a smirk plastered across her face, she held it up to Marianne's mouth, "Say ahhh!" she flirted.

Marianne gasped, blushing furiously and opening her mouth wide, "Ahh-ahhhhh!" Hilda carefully placed the cupcake inside the magic user's mouth, allowing her to bite off about half of the treat in a big mouthful.

"Is it good?"

Marianne hummed.

"Oh, and you have a small bit of icing on your top lip," Hilda pointed an elegant finger to the offending lip, "don't move." Confidently, Hilda leaned forward and took Marianne's plump, top lip between her own, briefly licking the icing off of it before casually returning to her position beside Marianne, like nothing ever happened. "There we go, all gone." She said cheerfully, taking a bite out of the cupcake she had just fed Marianne.

Marianne just sat there, mouth slightly agape, stunned.

"Hey Marianne," Leonie greeted, sitting down at the table that Hilda and Marianne were already sat at, "I don't see you in here often."

Marianne shifted uncomfortably, desperately fishing for Hilda's hand underneath the dinning hall table, "W-well, if I'm bothering you, um."

"Oh no, you're more than welcome, I was just saying that I don't see you often outside of lectures."

Hilda found Marianne's hand and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze. Marianne cleared her throat, "I'm usually busy, but, uh, now I'm not."

Leonie laughed awkwardly at the atmosphere, "Great!"

"Leonie, how has your training been?" Hilda desperately tried to save the situation, not wanting to make Marianne feel uncomfortable and scare her away to a secluded corner where she usually ate dinner. Luckily for her, Sothis must have been smiling down on her, Leonie took the bait and started rambling on about her training.

That was uncomfortable. I want Marianne to feel more accepted in our house, eating together is a good start.

Eventually, the rest of the gang turned up; Raphael, Ignatz and Claude.

"Hey everyone!" The blond giant greeted, interrupting Leonie's dramatic speech about how she must train harder to become Jeralt's apprentice. Happy greetings were exchanged around the group and everyone started to eat.

"By the way Hilda." Claude mentioned halfway through the meal when everyone had grown silent, "what are those bruises on your neck? Did you have a fight?"

"Oh yeah, I didn't notice those!" Raphael craned his neck to get a better look, causing Hilda to shrink down into her seat due to embarrassment. Whilst last night's marks had mostly faded, Marianne had made a cluster of new marks towards the end of their picnic.

"I, uh, got them in the fight last week," Hilda's face matched her hair colour as she carefully answered.

"Last week?" Leonie pressed, innocent to the banging in Hilda's rib cage, "but nobody got hurt in that, those bandits barely touched us."

Claude eyed Hilda suspiciously, "and besides, I didn't see them yesterday."

"Well, I uh, I went to a field today maybe-"

Marianne looked up at Claude, bravery shining from her. "I-I did them," she said as casually as possible, hoping to downplay the situation. All eyes focused on her, Hilda swore she heard Ignatz drop his fork over the background bustle of the dining room.

Hilda took Marianne's hand again, this time resting them on the table surface in between their plates, "We're dating."

"W-wow!" Raphael smiled, stabbing another mountain of food with his fork, "that's great news!" Everyone followed suit; enthusiastically congratulating the pair.

"You aren't mad?" Marianne spluttered in reply to their praise.

"Why would we be mad?" Ignatz countered cheerfully, "you are cute together."

Marianne blushed, then laughed, a soft laugh that brightened up the room like the sun's rays and left the members of the Golden Deer dazzled at the sound.

"Thank you Ignatz, I think we are cute together too!"


End file.
